A child rapist who committed a string of sex attacks against a five-year-old Sutton girl has been jailed for 13 years.

Jerry Ablorh, 41, of Bensham Lane in Thornton Heath, was convicted of one count of rape and two other sex offences at Croydon Crown Court, last month.

He was sentenced at the same court today (Friday, April 28).

Ablorh, who went by several other different names – including Eugene and ‘Uncle John’, met the victim after befriending her mother in 2013.

He worked hard to build up their trust and offered to look after the victim, took her to the park and sent the mother photos while they were alone to reassure her that everything was alright.

After building up a relationship with the mother he took the girl to an outhouse he rented in a garden in Coller Avenue, in Croydon, where he attacked her between January and December, 2014.

On each occasion Ablorh told the victim that her mother, or other family members would die if she told anyone about the abuse.

But two years later the brave girl told her mum about the attacks and police were notified in October 2016.

During a police interview the girl sobbed as she told trained officers about the ordeal. She is now receiving treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ablorh dodged police during a manhunt that followed shortly after police were alerted, but was later arrested on as he was leaving a church in Croydon on New Year’s Eve.

He denied any wrongdoing during, but was charged with two counts of rape and three other counts of sexual assault. The victim, now eight, had to give evidence via video link.

The jury found him guilty of three guilty of three offences and acquitted him of two.

During sentencing Recorder David Brock said Ablorh had abused the trust the family’s trust.

He told the court: “You were introduced to the mother and victim by a family friend in 2013 and you began a friendship as there was no father on the scene. You abused that trust.

“This is not a case of deliberate and sustained grooming, but rather you befriended the mother and child and took advantage of that very young girl when the opportunity arose.

“The offences are so serious that an immediate custodial sentence is the only sentence that I can give today.”

Following the sentencing officer Laura Davis, from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, commented that Ablorh may have abused other children.

She said: "Ablorh's crimes were despicable. He singled out the victim before launching his attack. It was clearly the most horrible and terrifying experience for her, a girl of just five years old.

"There is every chance Ablorh has abused more children who have yet to come forward. We would appeal for anyone with information to contact us in confidence."

If you have any information call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.